Compact Apparatus for Covering Landfill

ABSTRACT

Abstract of Disclosure 
     An apparatus and method for covering a landfill includes a deployer suspended below the bucket of a loader.  A roll of film is disposed on the deployer and uncoiled to deploy a film covering on the landfill surface as the loader driven across the surface.  Periodically, the bucket, containing a ballast material, is manipulated, allowing ballast material to be disposed on the film to hold the deployed film in place.  In a preferred embodiment, the deployer includes a mandrel mounted between two flanges for supporting a roll of film.  The deployer is preferably attached to the bucket by chains or wire rope in such a manner so as to allow full operation of bucket while the deployer is attached.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0001] None.

Background of Invention 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus forlaying a cover on a landfill, and more particularly to a method andapparatus for laying a cover on the landfill, and depositing ballast onthe cover.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0003] Landfills have become highly regulated in recent years with anemphasis on minimizing their impact to surrounding populations and theenvironment. Regulatory agencies, like the Environmental ProtectionAgency of the United States, mandate requirements for landfill designand maintenance in an attempt to minimize the potential for odors,ground water contamination, fires, blowing litter, disease vectors, andvermin infestation. In an attempt to prevent such undesirableoccurrences, regulatory agencies have adopted strict restrictions andcodes as to the construction and covering of landfills.

[0004] Often, new landfills are created with a liner constructed of apolymeric film to cover the bottom of the landfill to prevent groundwater contamination and disease vectors. The liner is used to preventseepage from the waste stored on top of the liner from entering into thecommunity water table located underground. Most often, the liner isinstalled by overlapping sections of film laid along the bottom of therecently excavated landfill and heat sealing the sections together toensure that no liquid seeps through the liner between the panels of filmand into the virgin ground underneath the landfill. It is preferred thatsuch a liner have a long life expectancy and not degrade so that thewater table may be separated from the landfill for as long as possible.Once the liner and a required minimum soil cover has been deposited overthe base of the landfill, waste materials can then be accepted onto thelandfill for disposal.

[0005] Landfill covers are required by regulatory agencies at the end ofevery workday and for landfill sections that are to be left inactive forextended periods of time. Regulatory agencies require exposed waste tobe covered in order to reduce the effects of fires, odor, vermin,litter, and disease on nearby populations. It is understood that theopen face of a landfill is the surface of compacted trash and garbage, aportion of which is enclosed in plastic bags, and other waste, but canalso contain tree pieces, cans, small appliances, wood, shingles,building materials of all kinds, dirt, sludge, or any other materialpermitted in a landfill. Traditionally, soil was used as the primarymeans of cover and was applied upon deposited waste in amounts governedby how long the section of the landfill is to remain inactive.

[0006] Many current regulations require daily coverage of exposed wastewith the daily cover including a minimum of six (eight in somelocations) inches of soil applied to the landfill workface. Due to thenon-homogeneous layout of most landfills, such a layer of soil mayactually reach from 12 to 15 inches in height in certain areas in orderto ensure that the six inch minimum exists throughout. Careful planningand management must be applied to each landfill installation to ensurethat the utility of the available airspace is maximized. For thisreason, landfills are preferably filled in sections, rather than all atonce. The accepted process for waste material disposal is to section offa portion of the landfill for the day's fill and to deposit materialthere, compact throughout the day, and then cover the section at day'send.

[0007] To maximize the effective use of landfill space, the waste iscompacted. Compaction is usually performed in two stages, prior to andafter waste deposit in the landfill. Compaction prior to delivery at thelandfill is usually performed either by the trash collection trucks orat separate compaction or bailing facilities. Generally, householdwaste, as collected, is between 250 and 300 lb/yd³ in density.Collection trucks are able to further compact this waste to 400-700lb/yd³ and bailing facilities are capable of compacting waste to levelsexceeding 1000 lb/yd³ in density. Once brought to the landfill facility,waste is deposited into a section of landfill and is further compactedby driving compaction equipment over and about the exposed waste.

[0008] Examples of the compaction equipment used for this purpose rangesfrom dedicated compactors, to standard earthmovers and bulldozers. Thesize, weight, and range of compaction equipment generally corresponds tothe size of the landfill installation, with the largest landfills havingthe most diverse and heaviest equipment. The compaction equipment isused to move and compact waste material within the deposit zone with itsattached blade or bucket device. Once the initial placement andcompaction is performed, the compaction equipment is then driven overthe deposited waste material several times throughout the workday,further compacting the deposited fill waste. The fill is compacted,preferably using an area, trench or ramp method, into an open face whichis typically inclined at angle of from 5 deg to 20 deg.

[0009] Studies have shown that 3 to 4 compaction cycles provide theideal amount of compaction for any given weight of machine and thatincreasing the number of compaction cycles beyond 4 typically yieldslittle gain in effective compaction. Once placed and compacted withinthe landfill, the same ordinary household waste that began at 250-300lb/yd³ is now stored within the landfill at 600-1500 lb/yd³, with theactual amount of compaction depending on the weight and size of theequipment utilized and the number of compactions.

[0010] Because waste storage capacity is a landfill's most preciouscommodity, the traditional soil method of covering the waste has becomeless and less popular in recent years. In response to the recent demandsfor more efficient usage of landfill space, alternative daily cover, orADC, systems have been suggested. The primary goal of an ADC is toperform all the functions of an eight to six inch layer of soil withoutthe drawback of consuming large amounts of landfill capacity. Attemptshave been made to cover landfills with removable tarps, but it has beenshown that the deployment and retrieval processes are difficult andlabor intensive. Nondegradable disposable plastic liners that aredesigned to be left in place have been proven to take up little landfillspace but are considered potentially dangerous because of their tendencyto trap methane and other gasses generated by the waste within thelayers of the fill.

[0011] One ADC that has been widely accepted is the use of a degradablepolyolefin film as disclosed in U.S. Patents 5,416,133 and 5,565,503,both hereby incorporated herein by reference. The degradable film ofpolyolefin is desirable as an ADC because it conserves valuable fillcapacity and degrades quickly enough (either through chemical, photo,stress, thermal, or biodegradation) to reduce the potential for thebuildup of gasses between fill layers. Apparatuses and methods fordeploying degradable film is disclosed in U.S. Patents 5,536,116 (the"116 patent") and 5,620,281 and U.S. Patent Application Serial No.09/510,956, filed February 22, 2000 all hereby incorporated herein byreference.

[0012] The apparatus disclosed in the '116 patent includes a filmdeployment apparatus that may be disposed on the blade of a tractor orother prime mover. The deployment apparatus is attached to the blade,usually by chains, hooks, or both. The tractor is usually powered by adiesel engine while the blade, which may be lifted and lowered, isoperated by hydraulic fluid lines and a conventional electrical system.The required hydraulic and electrical power needed to operate thedeployment apparatus may be obtained from the tractor by conventionalhydraulic and electrical take-off lines. Alternatively, the power, fueland hydraulic systems may be self contained on the deployment apparatus.After the deployment apparatus is attached to the blade, it may belifted off the ground by actuating a hydraulic cylinder. When not usedto support the deployment apparatus, the blade is used to push the wastefill into the operating area of the landfill.

[0013] The deployment apparatus operates by unrolling a panel or widthof film from a roll of film rotatably mounted on the deploymentapparatus as the tractor moves over the workface of the landfill.Frequently, below the roll of film is at least one roller which drawsthe film back and down as it is unrolled from the film roll. The rollerdraws the film as close to the workface of the landfill as quickly aspossible, thus allowing the film to unroll over the exposed workface ofthe landfill and seal off deposited waste from the elements andscavenging animals. Once a layer of film is deposited, the film is cut,either by hand or automated device, and the tractor is returned to thetop of the workface to lay another layer of film adjacent to the firstlayer with several inches of overlap. This process is repeated until theentire day's fill is covered.

[0014] Because the film that is laid upon the landfill would otherwisebe susceptible to being blown away, the deployment apparatus alsodeposits ballast on the film as it is laid. The ballast can take theform of any solid or semi-solid medium but is preferably soil. Thedeployment apparatus contains hoppers that are preferably large enoughto hold enough ballast to complete the daily cover operation withoutrefilling. Mechanical apparatus direct the ballast out of the hoppersthrough outlets, where the ballast is deposited onto the desiredlocations of laid film.

[0015] Each layer of film generally is deployed by positioning thetractor at the top of the area to be covered so that the film isdeployed as the tractor backs down the face of the landfill. The film isextended outward of the deployment apparatus and positioned under theguide roller. At the start of each pass of film, the ballastdistribution mechanism is activated to deposit ballast upon the leadingedge of film. The weight of the deposits of ballast is sufficient tohold the leading edge of the film in place while the tractor withattached deployment apparatus is backed down the workface of thelandfill. At intervals selected by the operator, which are eitheraccumulated manually or automatically, additional deposits of ballastare made to help secure the film in place atop the workface of thelandfill. Additionally, when beginning a pass over the workface, thefilm can be temporarily attached about the roller in such a fashion thatthe weight of the first deposit of ballast frees the film from theroller and allows deployment without assistance.

[0016] With the film secured in place atop the workface by the ballast,the requirements for an ADC are met using a system that consumes muchless landfill space than the traditional soil cover method. Traditionalsoil cover systems cost landfill operators a large amount of resourcesin terms of equipment required and effective fill capacity. Atraditional soil cover system requires a large amount of soil to belocated nearby and more machinery to emplace than a degradable filmcover system.

[0017] The apparatus of the '116 patent is designed for large amountsfill space which must be covered with high frequency. For smalllandfills, such as those for remote municipalities, a smaller, lessexpensive apparatus to deploy film and ballast is highly desirable.Because of the lesser amount of waste deposited each day, small-scalefills are typically in a position to benefit even more from ADC systemsthan their larger counterparts. For such small-scale facilities, thesoil cover material represents a higher percentage of the fill capacitythan at larger facilities.

[0018] The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the priorart.

Summary of Invention

[0019] The apparatus and method of the present invention enables alandfill operator to deploy a film material from a standard bucketloader to the working surface of a landfill. The apparatus is preferablyattached to the bucket assembly of loader and deploys film as the loaderis driven across the working surface of the landfill. Periodically, atintervals determined by the operator, the bucket, which contains aballast material, is manipulated to allow ballast material to drop ontothe film and hold the deployed film in place. In a preferred embodiment,the apparatus includes a roll of film mounted on a mandrel between twoflanges. Such an apparatus is preferably attached to the bucket devicethrough chains or wire rope in such a manner as to allow full operationof the bucket while the apparatus is attached. The apparatus of thepresent invention is also capable of spraying a pesticide, deodorant, orany other chemical, to the exposed working surface. If more than onepanel is required to cover the work area, it is preferred that adjacentpanels, with some overlap, be laid.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0020] For a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawingswherein:

[0021]Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel loader and film deployer inaccordance with the present invention;

[0022]Figure 2 is an exploded view drawing of the film deployer ofFigure 1;

[0023]Figure 3 is an isometric detail of the fixed flange and mandrel ofFigure 1;

[0024]Figure 4 is an isometric view of the detachable flange of Figure2;Figure 4 is an end view of the attachment guard of Figure 2;

[0025]Figure 5 is a perspective view of a protective shield;

[0026]Figure 6 is a drawing of the wheel loader and film deployer ofFigure 1 before film is deployed; and

[0027]Figure 7 is a drawing of the wheel loader and film deployer ofFigure 1 during film deployment.

[0028] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that the drawings and detaileddescription thereto are not intended to limit the invention to theparticular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within thespirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

Detailed Description

[0029] Referring initially to Figure 1, a film deployment apparatus 10in accordance with a preferred embodiment is shown. Deployment apparatus10 is preferably attached to the front end 12 of a loader 14 such as toa container or bucket by any pair of suitable members such as chains 16.The chains 16 support a roll of film 18. As is well known in the art,the bucket 12 may be raised, lowered and tilted hydraulically bycontrols. Deployment apparatus 10 lays a panel of film 18 over a worksurface 20, as hereinafter described, as loader 14 is driven thereover.

[0030] Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, apparatus 10 preferablyincludes a mandrel 26 having a flange 22 fixed at one end and a flange24 detachably connected to the opposite end of mandrel 26. Mounted uponeach flange 22, 24 is a connection member such as an eyelet 28 by whichdeployment apparatus 10 preferably attaches bucket 12 by attachingchains 16 between eyelets 28 and hooks 34 mounted upon sides of bucket12. The chains 16 suspend apparatus 10 below the bucket 12 takingadvantage of the gravitational pull; as the bucket 12 is tilted.Although chains 16 are shown in the preferred embodiment, it can beunderstood that any other means of attachment can be utilized includingbut not limited to rope, wire, cables, or rigid structural members.

[0031] It is also preferred that flanges 22 and 24 be strong enough toresist bending if chains 16 extend inward or outward. Depending on thesize of the bucket 12 and width of roll 32 of film, chains 16 may haveto angle inward or outward to connect the two together. To strengthenflanges 22 and 24, they may me manufactured of a thicker material, orstructural braces may be attached.

[0032] In the preferred embodiment, film roll 32 includes a length offilm 18 that has been circumferentially rolled up around a tubular axle(not shown) having a bore therethrough for receiving mandrel 26. Mandrel26 is installed by first removing detachable flange 24 and then slidingthe free end 33 of mandrel 26 through the bore or film roll 32 until theend of the roll engages flange 22. Mandrel 26 acts as a spindle andpreferably combines with flanges 22 and 24 to form a spool. Tofacilitate ease of lifting, mandrel 26 is preferably constructed in agenerally tubular fashion. Film roll 32 is preferably constructed suchthat its inner diameter is slightly larger than outer diameter ofmandrel 26 to allow film 18 to "roll" off as it is pulled from roll 32.Alternatively, bearings may be installed between roll 32 and mandrel 26to facilitate ease of deployment. Alternatively still, bearings may bepositioned between flanges 22, 24 and film roll 32 to allow film 18 tobe deployed directly to work surface 20 without requiring mandrel 26.Such bearings, if used, may be of sleeve, journal, roller or ballbearing type.

[0033] Film 18 is preferably degradable through chemical, mechanical,thermal, photo, or biodegradation. Although deployer 10 preferablydeploys a degradable film material, it can be used to deploy anymaterial for covering the landfill and may be degradable ornon-degradable. The material is preferably stored in rolled form. Forexample, non-degradable films may be deployed for more permanent or longterm cover or lining applications. Alternatively, breathable textilematerials may also be deployed on landfill surfaces as effective shortor long-term cover. Examples of breathable textile materials forlandfill cover are described in United Kingdom patent Application No.GB9407807.8 entitled "Waste Disposal," hereby incorporated herein byreference. Examples of film 18 which are degradable are described inU.S. Patents 5,416,133 and 5,565,503 incorporated by reference above.

[0034] Flanges 22 and 24 preferably include a sector cut 30 along theirbottom edges to facilitate installation of film roll 32. Sector cuts 30of flanges 22 and 24 enable mandrel 26 and flange 22 to be installedwithin roll 32 while flanges 22, 24 rest upon a surface without rolling.Otherwise, depending on its outer diameter, film roll 32 may have to belifted in order to receive mandrel 26 and attached flange 22 completelythrough the tubular axle. Once film roll 32 is mounted on mandrel 26,detachable flange 24 is re-attached and assembly 10 is ready to beattached to bucket 12 of loader 14.

[0035] Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, detachable flange 24 ispreferably secured to mandrel 26 by a pin and J-slot arrangement.Mandrel 26 has one end attached to flange 22 and another end 33 free forattachment to flange 24. Free end 33 of mandrel 26 includes a J-slot 38cut through its diameter and a tapered cone end 37. Detachable flange 24of Figure 4 includes a short tubular extension 35 through which cone end37 of mandrel 26 is engaged. Diametrically engaged through extension 35of flange 24 is a pin 36 that corresponds to the width of J-slot 38.When cone end 37 is engaged within extension 35 of flange 24, pin 36 isconcurrently engaged within J-slot 38 of mandrel 26. Once pin 36 isengaged within slot 38, detachable flange 24 is rotated until pin 36securely retains flange 24 in place by J-slot 38. Alternatively, the pinand J-slot arrangement may be reversed such that tubular extension 35includes the J-slot and mandrel 26 contains the pin. Alternativelystill, both flanges 22, and 24 may optionally be detachable.

[0036] Referring again to Figure 1, the location of hooks 34 on bucket12 are at the discretion of the end user. It is preferred that the hooks34 are positioned on bucket 12 such that an imaginary line drawn betweenthem is substantially parallel to the surface of workface 20. It is alsopreferred that apparatus 10 be mounted upon bucket 12 of loader 14 insuch a fashion that the axis of the roll 32 of film 18 be located behindthe leading edge 39 of bucket 12 no matter what position bucket 12 maytake. An example of an acceptable location is shown in Figure 1 whereinhooks 34 are attached above the pivot axis of bucket 12 when in the "up"position. By keeping the axis of roll 32 behind the leading edge 39 ofbucket 12, it is ensured that ballast material may be effectivelydeposited to film 18 gravitationally.

[0037] Referring now to Figure 5, it is preferred that hooks 34 befashioned from plates 40,42 of steel welded together at joint 44. Plate40 is to be welded in the desired location on bucket 12 such that joint44 is pointed toward leading edge 39. Plate 42 includes an aperture 46that includes a large profile 41 and a small profile 43. Aperture 46 isarranged such that small profile 43 is located between large profile 41and workface 20. Small region 43 is constructed to hold a link of chain16 in place while large profile 41 will allow free engagementtherethrough. To connect apparatus 10 to bucket 12, chains 16 areconnected from eyelets 28 and through large profile 11 of hook 34. Oncethe desired length of chain is reached between hook 32 and eyelet 28,chain 16 is then positioned from large profile 41 to small profile 43,where it is held securely in place by the weight of apparatus 10. It isalso preferable to attach reinforcement guards 45 above and below plates40 and 42 to make hooks 32 more robust. If guards 45 are not utilized,hooks 34 can be torn from bucket 12 when bucket 12 extends into theearth to collect material. By protecting hooks 34, guards 45 ensure thelong term usability and durability of deployment assembly 10.

[0038] Referring now to Figure 6, when a section of landfill is to becovered, the following process is performed. First, the operator takesprime loader 14 to an area where the bucket 12 may be filled with aballast material. Ballast material may be of any form preferable tolandfill operators, but typically takes the form of clay, soil, sand,gravel, rock, or a combination thereof. Once bucket 12 is filled withballast material, the loader 14 is then driven to the location ofdeployment apparatus 10. Once in position, the operator lowers bucket 12without spilling ballast material to attach apparatus 10. With bucket 12lowered, the chains 16 of apparatus 10 are attached to hooks 34 onbucket 12. Preferably, one chain is used to secure each end of apparatus10 to opposing sides of bucket 12. It should be appreciated thatalternative methods of attachment may be used as long as the method issimple and not labor intensive. With apparatus 10 securely attached andpositioned underneath, bucket 12 of loader 14 can be raised untilapparatus 10 is lifted off of landfill surface. Once apparatus 10 islifted, film 18 may be pulled off roll 32 and preferably tucked into theballast 48 in bucket 12 as shown in Figure 6. Alternatively, clips (notshown) may be used to temporarily attach the film 18 to the bucket 12prior to deployment. Loader 14 and deployment apparatus 10 are now readyto deploy film 18 to landfill surface 20.

[0039] Referring now to Figure 7, loader 14 with attached deploymentapparatus 10 is positioned over an area to be covered. Loader 14 ispositioned to move in reverse over the work area. To start laying apanel of film 18, the controls to bucket 12 are "nudged" to allow asmall amount of ballast 48 to fall from bucket 12, releasing tucked film18 with it. With film 18 deposited upon work surface 20 of the landfill,controls are again manipulated to drop more ballast 48 upon depositedfilm 18. With film 18 held in place securely by the weight of thedropped ballast 48, the prime loader 14 is carefully backed over thearea to be covered, deploying film 18 as loader 14 progresses rearward.Periodically, at intervals to be determined by landfill operationpreferences and regulations, the controls are manipulated to causebucket 12 to tip and deposit more ballast 48 upon film 18. When at theend of a pass over the landfill ballast 48 is deposited on the end ofthe film panel and the panel is cut manually by the operator or anassistant. Once film 18 panel is cut, the film can be tucked into theballast, and the loader 14 is returned to the starting point of thepanel of laid film to lay an adjacent panel along a similar path. It ispreferred that adjacent panels be laid with 6-24 inches of overlap tomore effectively "seal" the fill from the environment. Adjacent panelsare laid on top of the workface 20 of the landfill until the desiredarea is properly covered.

[0040] Referring now to Figure 8, a sprayer apparatus 100 to apply afluid (liquid or gaseous) is shown attached to loader 14. Sprayerapparatus 100 includes a pressure tank 102 and a pressure cap 104.Attached to pressure tank 102 is a pressure relief valve 106 and acharging pump 108. A shut off valve 110 is connected to the bottom oftank 102 and controls the flow of liquid solution from the tank 102 to ahose 112. Attached at the end of hose 112 is a spray manifold or bar 113with at least one spray head 114 to create a spray pattern 116 whenliquid flows therethrough under pressure. Spray bar 113 preferablyextends across the width of the loader 14 with distributed spray head114 placement to more effectively cover the workface. It should beappreciated an single spray head with a wide path of coverage maycommunicate directly with hose 112, thus eliminating the need for amanifold device.

[0041] To operate sprayer apparatus 100, pressure cap 104 is unscrewedand the liquid to be sprayed is poured into tank 102. With the liquid intank 102, pressure cap 104 is replaced and charging pump 108 isactivated until the pressure within tank 102 reaches a predeterminedlevel. Charging pump 108 may be of a manual or powered type and may ormay not include a pressure indication device (not shown) to indicatewhen the pressure contained within tank 102 is sufficient. Withsufficient pressure in tank 102, shut off valve 110 may be manipulatedto allow the pressurized liquid to flow through hose 112 and head 114 tospray liquid 116 upon workface 20.

[0042] Sprayer 100 is preferably located and operated in a position thatapplies fluid to workface 20 following loader 14, but before thedeployment of film 18 and ballast 48. It is preferred that sprayer 100contain and apply a pesticide solution to the topside workface 20 inorder to control the spread of flies, mosquitoes, or any other annoyinginsect pest, but is understood that any beneficial chemical may beapplied using sprayer 100. Examples of other beneficial chemicals thatcan be applied using sprayer 100 are deodorants, degradation inhibitors,or degredation accelerators.

[0043] The apparatus 10 of the present invention has many advantagesover the prior art. The primary advantage is reduced cost. Prior artequipment is expensive and complex, requiring systems of hydraulics,motors, and other machinery. Additionally, reliability of prior artsystems is questionably when used in extreme environmental conditions.The apparatus of the present invention costs a fraction of those of theprior art and operates equally reliable in all weather conditions.Another advantage of the present invention is that ballast material canbe of any size or shape. Prior art systems required that ballastmaterial be filtered through a screening mechanism to ensure that theballast does not clog the augers or chutes. The apparatus of the presentinvention does not require any such limitations.

[0044] In addition to a low cost, the present invention also offerslandfill operators low equipment costs. Prior art systems require heavyprime movers that are capable of carrying deployment units that weighseveral tons. The apparatus of the present invention only weighs a fewhundred pounds and can be carried by smaller and less expensivemachines. Almost all landfill loaders will be capable of carrying anapparatus made in accordance with the present invention. Furthermore, adevice in accordance with the present invention may even be attached tothe rear of a dump truck to deploy film in a manner consistent with thatdescribed above.

[0045] Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent tothose skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace allsuch variations and modifications.

Claims
 1. An apparatus for mounting on a lift of a vehicle to deploycovering on a landfill, comprising: a spool adapted to support thecovering; and connection members releasably attached to said spool andadapted for suspending the covering below the lift to deploy the filmover the landfill.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connectionmembers are selected from the group consisting of chains, braided wire,rope, or rigid beams.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spoolincludes a mandrel extending between opposed flanges.
 4. The apparatusof claim 3 wherein said opposed flanges include a first flange coupledto one end of said mandrel and a second flange detachably connected toanother end of said mandrel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein saidsecond flange is connected to said mandrel by a J-slot and pin.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 3 wherein said flanges include a flat side.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said connection members include a connectoradapted for mounting on said lift.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 whereinsaid connector includes a shield.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 furtherincluding a container adapted for disposal on the lift adapted tocontain a ballast for deployment on the covering.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein a sprayer to apply a chemical solution is disposedbetween said spool and the vehicle.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wheresaid chemical solution includes a pesticide.
 12. The apparatus of claim10 wherein said chemical solution is a deodorizer.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said covering is a degradable film.
 14. An apparatus forcovering a landfill comprising: a vehicle having a container disposedthereon which may raised, lowered and tilted; a spool suspended belowsaid container; a roll of film disposed on said spool; and ballastdisposed in said container.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein saidspool includes a mandrel disposed between flanged ends.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 15 wherein said flanged ends include sector cutsadapted to face the landfill.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15 furtherincluding bearing members disposed between said mandrel and said roll.18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said bearing members are roller orball bearings.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising asprayer to apply a chemical solution to the landfill.
 20. The apparatusof claim 19 wherein said chemical solution includes a pesticide.
 21. Theapparatus of claim 19 wherein said chemical solution includes adeodorant.
 22. A method for covering a landfill surface comprising:rotatably disposing a roll of film on a spool below a bucket on a mover;moving the mover over the landfill surface; rotating the roll on thespool to unroll a panel of film from the roll; deploying the film ontothe landfill surface; and selectively depositing ballast on top of thedeployed film from the bucket..
 23. The method of claim 22 furtherincluding overlapping adjacent panels of film on the landfill surface.24. The method of claim 22 further including spraying a chemicalsolution on the landfill prior to deploying the film to the surface. 25.A method for covering a surface of a landfill comprising: depositingballast material in a bucket device of a loader; mounting a filmdeployer to the bucket device; backing the loader over the surface;deploying the film from a spool mounted below the bucket; and depositingballast material on top of the film from the bucket..
 26. The method ofclaim 25 wherein adjacent panels of the film are deployed atop thesurface of the landfill.
 27. The method of claim 25 wherein adjacentpanels of the film overlap.
 28. The method of claim 25 further includingspraying a chemical pesticide on the landfill surface prior to deployingsaid film.